A New Life
by pkmnsurvivor19
Summary: Abuse for 7 years, 19 year old Amber Richardson believes that her life can't get any better. But after arriving in Megakat City and meeting her favorite crime fighting/city protecting duo, it takes a turn for the better. Takes place in the first season of Swat Kats.


**I don't own Swat Kats in any way. They belong to Hanna-Barbera.**

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Date: March 10, 2002 8:50 a.m.

Location: Small country farm just outside of Brownell, Kansas.

_I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so excited!_ I thought as I swung back and forth on my swing. Any 10 year old would be excited for the journey I'm about to go on. What is this journey you ask? Well, I'm not gonna tell you just yet. You'll just have to wait and see.

_I really can't wait to find out what they'll teach me first after we land. Will it be how to clean and load up weapons? Will it be how to get out of an enemy's campground without being noticed? Or, will it be my most favorite thing, learning how to fly an F-14 fighter jet? Oh, the possibilities of what's first are endless!_ I thought as my smile grew wider.

"Amber, it's time to get ready to go!" I hear my mom shout from the house.

"Coming!" I yell back as I jump off the swing and race toward the house.

"It's not fair. It's so not fair," my older brother, Warren whined as I entered. "How come Amber gets to go with you guys and I have to go to Grams' place?"

My mom, who was clearly getting tired of his whining, sighed and explains to him once again. "Because Warren we've received orders from our commander that she is allowed to go with us. We still have no idea why but that's the way things are right now."

"Well, the way things are stink!" he replied in a huff.

I shook my head at his behavior. I swear, even though he is older than me he still acts like a little kid at times. And at this point he's making me look more mature than him.

"I give up," mom replied as she went to finish up putting on her military attire.

"Hey, just be glad that he isn't whining as much after we told him the first time," my dad, who is wearing the same attire as mom, tells her as he checks his rucksack to see if he has everything.

You have probably figured out by now that both of my parents are soldiers in the military. See, there's this war that's going on in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the both of them have been summoned to the commander's aid. Now for reasons unknown the commander has asked that I come along with them. We really don't know why, but we have to obey his orders.

If you're worried that I'm going on the frontlines in the heat of battles you're wrong. I'm just gonna be staying at the camp the entire time and maybe lend a hand around if the situation isn't too severe. Also, whenever mom or dad are off duty, they'll teach me what they know about being in the military so I can become the next Richardson soldier. It's what I've always wanted to be since I can remember.

"Alright, is everyone ready to go?" mom asks as she gathers the rest of her stuff.

"I know that I am!" I reply as I swung my bag over my shoulder and grab my duffel.

"Then let's move them out soldiers," dad playfully orders as we head to our car.

"It's just not fair that you get to go and I don't," Warren grumbles as he carries his suitcases.

"You're just jealous that I'm going to be the next family soldier, while you're gonna be a tech nerd working on computers."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not!"

"Are to!"

"AM NOT!"

"Warren, Amber, please don't start this now," mom begs as we pile in our car and drive off to the airport.

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After dropping off a still very upset brother, we've finally arrived at the airport that will take us to Afghanistan. I'm starting to get nervous as we inch closer to the plane to board up with the other soldiers. I think it's because they are giving me wary looks as to why a child is boarding.

"Are you ready to experience this with us Amber?" my mom asks just as we are about to enter the plane.

"You bet I am mom," I reply.

Just as I'm about to enter right after them, the guard at the door slams his hand down on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

"Um…sir? Is there something wrong? I'm supposed to get on with my parents."

"Wake up," was all that he said.

"Huh?"

"I said wake up damnit."

"Sir, what are you talking about? I'm already up."

"Wake up already!" he practically yells as he begins to shake me.

As he does this, the scenery begins to swirl all around and disappears into smoke, leaving nothing but us two left. Just what the heck is going on?

"I said, wake up already you lazy son of a bitch or do I have to use force!" the soldier yelled as his voice started to sound very familiar.

_Wait a minute…._

**SLAP!**

I jolt awake from the force of the blow on my face to see that I'm not on any airport. Instead I'm at the place where I have been for the past seven years since I was 12.

_So…that was just a dream about that day again. Damn it!_

"About time you woke up!" Maggie Benson, aka my stepmom from hell, says angrily as she drags her daily morning cigarette. "I was just about to call Nathan up here and let him wake you up himself. But it appears my way was more affected."

_Yes, nothing wakes me up better than an abusive slap to the face_, I thought angrily as I touched the spot where I was slapped. That was definitely gonna leave another bruise to my now "impressive" collection.

"Well, don't just lay there on your ass all day. Get to work!" she yells as she throws my daily work clothes at me and storms out the door.

"Cigar smoking bitch," I growled as I crawled out of bed to put my glasses and work clothes on.

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!** My cellphone alarmed as I turned it off to see what today's date really was: February 15, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.

"Great. She could've of given me ten more minutes to sleep, but no! She believed that waking me up now was better! Ugh!"

I look out the window to see if the nice California view could at least try to cheer me up. Instead all I see is a heavy rain coming down as it soaks everything in sight.

_Just great. I predict that by the end of the day, I'll come down with a very bad cold_, I thought as I laid my head against the cold glass.

_Tink. Tink._

I looked down to the sound of the noise and saw the hidden dog tags I always ware around my neck. I lifted them up and read what was on them.

_Dwayne G. Richardson_

_Honorable Military Pilot_

_Deidre C. Richardson_

_Honorable Lieutenant Commander_

As I read them, a few tears started to fall from my eyes. Now it wasn't just my parents' names, or their positions in the military that teared me up. It was the two words that I etched on the bottom of each of them that brought up painful memories.

_Don't forget._

_Why…? Why can't things go back to the way they were? _I thought sadly.

"AMBER DAWN RICHARDSON!" Maggie bellowed, snapping me out of my sad trance. "You better get your ass down here right now and get started on those chores! Or do you want me to grab the belt whip and give you an early punishment for not obeying!"

"Th…There's no need for that miss, I…I'm on my way down," I tell her while I dry my eyes and head for the stairs.

_Quite a living hell my life has turned into._

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**AN: Well here it is, the first chapter of my first story. Now I know that there wasn't any Swat Kats action at the start, but there will be. For the time being they will only be mention in the first few chapters. After that they will make an appearance for the rest of the story. I'm not really sure if this is good or not so please be nice.**

**Enjoy!**


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